Fire-door for locomotives.



PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

APPLIOATiON FILED 311mm. 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT ()FFICE.

FIRE-DOOR FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,545, dated April 19, 1904;.

v Application filed September 24, 1903. Serial No. 174,428. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE S. EDMoNns; a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of the city and county of Albany, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Doors for Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

Those conversant with locomotive operation, more especially where hard coal of poor grades is used, know when working an engine hard it is necessary from time to time to rake over fire to remove dead spots, break up clinkers, &c. When this is done, with the usual type of fire-door during the period when this operation is taking place cold air to considerable volume is admitted, which deadens the fire, with the result that the steam-pressure drops, meaning with heavy freight on a hill a stall or with a passenger-train lost time. At the end of the run when cleaning fire this entrance of cold air acting on the tubes causes leaky flues.

The objects of my invention are, first, to enable locomotives to burn a cheaper grade of fuel and yet maintain rated boiler-pressure; second, to lessen maintenance charges on locomotives by enabling operator to clean the fire on the road and at end of run with minimum door-opening, this saving leaky flue due to entrance of cold air in large quantities when full door-opening is had for raking and clean ing. I attain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which V Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the double doorsof a locomotive-engine provided with my emergency fire-door, which is shown closed and dotted lines showing the same open. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same at was, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of the doors of the locomotive-engine containing my emergency fire-door, showing the same controlled by a spring. Fig. 4 is a vertical section aty y, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective sectional view of the inside of the furnace of a locomotive, showing both doors closed and emergency fire-door open by dotted lines and showing the position of the fire in saidlocomotive. Fig. 6 isa front elevation showing a modified construction of my emergencydoor. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same at 2 a, Fig. 6.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The locomotive as here shown and described has doubledoors, Fig. 1, and the fire is below the bottom of the doors, as shown in Fig. 5; .but

, the device can be arranged to meet conditions struct my emergency fire-door B. This is preferably made in a vertical position, as shown in'Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, the hinge being at the bottom of the door. I construct my emergency fire-door with the hinge C on the outside, so as to be out of the center of gravity, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4., so that when the door is closed it will stay closed with its own weight and does not need a catch or spring to hold it closed in position. As an additional means of holding my emergency fire-door closed I place a counterweight D, Fig. 2, on

the inside upper part of the door, so that its weight will be nearer the fire of the locomotive than the hinge upon which the emergency fire-door turns, so that the weight willv assist in holding the door firmly closed in position and be less liable to shake open in going around curves or over rough places. By extending the hinge farther out, as shown in Fig. 4, the same result is accomplished without the counterweight D.

Near the upper end of my emergency-door I attach by some suitable means a handle or the ring E for opening my emergency firedoor, which may hang open, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 1, while the fire is being raked.

As an additional or another means of holding my emergency fire-door closed or in such position as may be desired I providethe rod or pin F at the lower end of the emergency fire-door, forming part of the hinge and turning with the door, as shownin Fig. 3. One

' to hold the door closed, the resiliency of the spring allowing the door to be opened when sufficient force is applied and at the same time sure of the steam, consequently the speed of end of this rod F is provided with teeth or notches f. Attached to the main door of the engine I construct the bearing or sleeve G and the shaft or bar H, adapted to slide end- Wise but not to turn in said bearing or sleeve G. Upon or near the end of said bar H, I form the shoulder I and at the end of said shoulderI the teeth or notches 71, made to mesh with the teeth or notches f of the rod F. Between the shoulder I and the bearing G, I place a spring S to press against said bearing G and also against said shoulder I, so as to keep the teeth 2' in contact with the notches f, as shown in Fig. 3, the teeth and notches being of such an angle that by taking'my emergency-door by the ring or handle E it can be moved downward and the door opened and remain in position while the fire is raked, and then the emergency-door may be closed and the spring will hold theteeth su fliciently firm the spring being sufiiciently strong to hold the door in position when left to itself. I

If desired, my emergency-door may be horizontal instead of vertical. This form of constructi'onis shown in Figs. 6'and 7. .When horizontal, the door would be held in position by the spring and teeth notches the same as above described and as shown in Fig. 6. I I It will be observed by Fig. 5 that the fire M in a locomotive-engine lies below the bottom of the door, and in practice it isnecessary to rake or clean the fire upon the top of it. With my emergency-door it is readily seen that byopening the door the rake, or other tools can be inserted and the fire raked or cleaned without materially lessening the presthe engine or hauling capacity.

At the end of run cleaning can be done with tools operating through this opening with minimum air admission and consequent decrease of leaky tubes. I

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In the door of the fire-box of a locomotive-engine a secondary or emergency door constructed therein, hinged at the bottom, said hinges being on the outside and without the center of gravity, a counterbalance attached to the upper portion of said door on the inside thereof, adapted to hold said door closed by its Weight, and a ring or handle on the outside of said door adapted to be taken hold of in opening said door, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a locomotive-engine, a fire-door constructed within the door of saidengine and hinged thereto; a bar turning with said door upon said hinges; notches and teeth constructed at one end of said bar, adapted to mesh with like notches and teeth attached to the main door of said engine, substantially as described and for the purposes setforth.

'3. In a locomotive-engine an emergency or secondary door constructed within the door of said engine and hinged thereto, said hinges being provided with a bar turning thereon, notches and teeth constructed on one end of said bar, a sleeve or hearing attached to the main door ofthe engine',a rod or bar adapted to slide lengthwise within said sleeve but not to turn therein; .a shoulder on one end of said bar, notches and teeth upon the same end of said bar adapted to mesh with the notches and teeth inv the first-mentioned bar; and a spring adapted to bear against said sleeve and against said shoulder and hold the teeth of said bar in the notches on the first-mentioned bar, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

Signed at Albany, New York, this 22d day of September, 1903.

GEORGE S. EDMONDS.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. WARD, DUDLEY B. WADE. 

